Will celebrate Vesak better than before - Mayor

Cheques awarded to 123 Buddhist temples in Colombo

Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake said the Municipal Council expects to celebrate the Vesak festival in a grand manner over the weekend.

She said the decorations and celebrations would be better than in previous years.

However, she said no special Vesak Zones or Pandals would be made due to security concerns prevailing in the country following the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The Mayor expressed these views at an event held at the Municipal Council to handover cheques worth Rs.50,000 each to some 123 temples in Colombo.

This is a programme initiated by one time Mayor and now parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to donate financial funds to religious places of worship to upgrade their facilities. The Public Assistance Department of the Municipal Council continues with the programme and is awarding cheques to religious places of worship during special religious holidays.

Speaking at the event, Mayor Senanayake said compassion preached in Buddhism should be exercised by all to prevent spreading of hatred.

“It is unfortunate that Easter Sunday terrorists claimed so many lives of both Sri Lankans as well as foreign nationals. We, as a nation, should face this challenge and we know how to do it. However, no one should suppress the innocent because not all are terrorists. Without spewing hatred, we should exercise compassion,” she said.